I hope this gives you some inspiration for your winter trip to Hokkaido Japan! We appreciate the commissions we earn when you purchase a train pass through our Klook affiliate link: geni.us/sapporofuranopass
You're welcome! Our next video will share more details about winter festivals in Hokkaido. Here's our overview video of how to plan a trip to Japan: th-cam.com/video/5o_PFG8xWWQ/w-d-xo.html
Hi George and Heidi. Enjoying all your videos. I planned to visit Hokkaido this December to visit those places including Seven Stars Tree セブンスターの木. Also I purchased JR Hokkaido Sapporo Furano Area Pass. Do you have any tips how to book a taxi to seven stars tree from Biei ?
Hi. We haven’t been to Seven Stars Tree. You could probably catch a taxi from Biei Station. Or use an app such as GO Taxi to request a taxi. To set up GO on your phone you would need to receive one text message once you’re in Japan. ❄️ Heidi
Do you know where you can store ski bags for the day in Sapporo? Sapporo station lockers don't look big enough to fit my 180cm long ski bag. Just looking for day of storage, I appreciate any intel!
Hi. You could try the ECBO Cloak app to find a storage location. We talk about the app at 06:27 in this separate video about luggage storage in Japan: th-cam.com/video/dsUGncWTVm8/w-d-xo.html
hi is there a guide to go to the ningle terrace during winter season using this sapporo furano pass? After arriving the train station in furano where can i go to buy the bus ticket to ningle terrace?
Hi. From Furano Station you can ride a bus (Asahikawa Line) to New Furano Prince Hotel, where Ningle Terrace is located. This takes about 20 minutes and costs 260 Yen. I assume you would either pay by IC card or pay cash on the bus. Alternatively, you could take a taxi from Furano Station, which would take about 10 minutes. Here's the website for the Prince Hotel: www.princehotels.com/shinfurano/ This other website also has some info about Ningle Terrace: www.visit-hokkaido.jp/en/spot/detail_11270.html In the winter coming from Sapporo, you would first travel to Asahikawa (1hr 25 min) then to Furano (1 hr 10 min). Then take a bus or taxi. So it would take about 3 hours to reach Ningle Terrace, and 3 hours to return to Sapporo. Alternatively, you might want to spend one night in Asahikawa or Furano. ❄️ Heidi
Hi, this is the video I’ve been waiting for! I was the one asking about this for my Yuki Matsuri trip in your last live video.😁 I’ll be traveling to Hokkaido, exploring Tohoku all the way to Tokyo in Feb, planning to use the JR East South Hokkaido Pass, so I can’t wait for your next video too! 😊 I will definitely use your link to buy my JR Sapporo-Furano Area Pass! I have questions, do you not recommend me to visit Biei the Shirogane Blue Pond? You don’t think it’s worth it in Winter season? Need your advice.. Thank you so much for the inspirations!! ❤
Yay! I was thinking of you when I made this video. ❄️ If you have the time and don't mind the long train ride, you certainly could visit Shirogane Blue Pond in Biei. I think it would take about 3 hours to get there from Sapporo. From Biei Station it's about a 30 minute bus ride. It looks like they have illuminations at the pond in winter. Here's some more info: www.biei-hokkaido.jp/ja/19266 You could visit Furano first, for Ningle Terrace shopping village www.visit-hokkaido.jp/en/spot/detail_11270.html. Then back track to Biei before returning to Sapporo. If you look at the map for the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass, there's a loop. In the winter you can't go the more direct route to Furano. Instead, you need to go through Asahikawa and Biei to reach Furano. 🌸Heidi
Hi Heidi and George! What are your recommendations to do in Hokkaido in spring time? We plan to be in Japan in April 2025. We will fly in Tokyo and after Tokyo will head to Hokkaido and fly back to the States from there.
Hi. Spring is beautiful in Japan! You might catch the cherry blossoms in Tokyo if you're there in early April. We haven't actually visited Hokkaido in the spring. It might be cold. In Sapporo we like walking through Odori Park, and the other parks. You could visit the Historical Village of Hokkaido, which has various traditional buildings that you can go inside and explore. In late April, the southern portion of Hokkaido is good for cherry blossom viewing, including the Star Fort (Goryōkaku) in Hakodate. 🌸 Heidi
@ Thank you Heidi. Our current plan is to be in Tokyo and its surrounding city attractions beginning of April for 10 days to catch the cherry blossoms and then head up North. I’m doing marathon watch of all things Japan on your channel. My husband had been to Japan on business trip once a long time ago. Everything is new to us. Your videos are more relatable because we travel as a family. Our only son is homeschooled so we seem to share the same interests as yours.
Sounds like a wonderful trip! Pretty much all the places we recommend are family-friendly. We made a video on the best places to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo: th-cam.com/video/J_t6Hh9F5YY/w-d-xo.html A day trip you might want to take from Tokyo is to visit Hitachi Seaside Park. It has flowers, but also an amusement park. It's the first one in this video: th-cam.com/video/NGSW8nVdqYA/w-d-xo.html
@@MeBot-t9i I don’t think so. Sapporo has had a few days of snow this year, but then it warmed up and melted. The Instagram account @visit.sapporo usually shares the daily weather as a story.
So sorry to bring up a different topic & question here. Thank you Heidi & George for giving these information right on time. I am not prepared for our trip yet😢 What regional passes you suggests for us Nov28/2024 day1-3Tokyo /Mt Fuji 4-6 Nagasaki 6-9 Hiroshima 10-17 Osaka Kyoto 18-21 Tokyo /Nagano or Gunma or Shirakawa go! Can I purchase online or from the office at Narita? ? Please please help 😮
Hi. For that spread out of locations the only pass that would cover everything is the Whole Japan Rail Pass. However, a 21-Day JR Pass costs 100,000 Yen per adult, and might not save you any money. You can enter each city into this Fare Calculator to see how much it would cost without the JR Pass: kenshoquest.com/recommends/jrpass-fare-calculator/ It looks like it would cost around 66,000 Yen purchasing separate tickets, which is less than the JR Pass. However, the JR Pass allows a lot of flexibility and you can add in whichever cities you decide to visit. If you prefer to buy individual Shinkansen bullet train tickets, here's one of our videos: th-cam.com/video/E_GxIrm0fdg/w-d-xo.html
@@KenshoQuestMuch appreciated George, I will watch those videos tomorrow in detail, but if I present my itinerary printed, will they give me those tickets /pass from Narita itself? Because I wanted utilize the time between 1500 till 6am nearby, I have stay at Narita that night, waiting for my daughter.
Hi, I have a student visa and therefore the resident status, so if I am not mistaken it would not je possible for to buy the pass right ? Thank you for your answers and your great videos! They helped me a lot since I am in Japan :)
Yes, you can use the pass however you like on the covered route. You can use it from the airport and to visit Asahikawa. From JR Asahikawa Station it's a 40 minute bus ride to Asahiyama Zoo. The bus ride is not covered by the pass, only the train. ❄️ Heidi
Hi. Yes, you normally can cancel Shinkansen bullet train tickets (if done at least 2 hours before departure time). However, you won't get back the entire amount you paid if there is a service fee (around 10%) or cancellation fee. 🌸 Heidi
I hope this gives you some inspiration for your winter trip to Hokkaido Japan! We appreciate the commissions we earn when you purchase a train pass through our Klook affiliate link: geni.us/sapporofuranopass
exactly what I needed after booking the tickets! Thank you!
You’re welcome! Here’s our video specifically about the winter festivals: th-cam.com/video/BYxfQ_CfHMQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=HF8KtxhZw9mRRKP4 ❄️☃️
Perfect for planning!!
This is godsend! subscribed, thank you!!
You're welcome! Our next video will share more details about winter festivals in Hokkaido. Here's our overview video of how to plan a trip to Japan: th-cam.com/video/5o_PFG8xWWQ/w-d-xo.html
Thank you very much for this. So much details. ❤
You're welcome! Here's our overview video of how to plan a trip to Japan: th-cam.com/video/5o_PFG8xWWQ/w-d-xo.html
Wow, i love the level of details! ❤❤❤ i’m a new fan!
Welcome to Kensho Quest! Here's our overview video of how to plan a trip to Japan: th-cam.com/video/5o_PFG8xWWQ/w-d-xo.html
Hi George and Heidi. Enjoying all your videos. I planned to visit Hokkaido this December to visit those places including Seven Stars Tree セブンスターの木. Also I purchased JR Hokkaido Sapporo Furano Area Pass. Do you have any tips how to book a taxi to seven stars tree from Biei ?
Hi. We haven’t been to Seven Stars Tree. You could probably catch a taxi from Biei Station. Or use an app such as GO Taxi to request a taxi. To set up GO on your phone you would need to receive one text message once you’re in Japan. ❄️ Heidi
Do you know where you can store ski bags for the day in Sapporo? Sapporo station lockers don't look big enough to fit my 180cm long ski bag. Just looking for day of storage, I appreciate any intel!
Hi. You could try the ECBO Cloak app to find a storage location. We talk about the app at 06:27 in this separate video about luggage storage in Japan: th-cam.com/video/dsUGncWTVm8/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for another very helpful video! Is it better to buy tickets for Shiroi Koibito Park in advance?
I would just buy tickets at the counter when you arrive. 🍫☃️
@@KenshoQuest thank you!
hi is there a guide to go to the ningle terrace during winter season using this sapporo furano pass? After arriving the train station in furano where can i go to buy the bus ticket to ningle terrace?
Hi. From Furano Station you can ride a bus (Asahikawa Line) to New Furano Prince Hotel, where Ningle Terrace is located. This takes about 20 minutes and costs 260 Yen. I assume you would either pay by IC card or pay cash on the bus. Alternatively, you could take a taxi from Furano Station, which would take about 10 minutes. Here's the website for the Prince Hotel: www.princehotels.com/shinfurano/ This other website also has some info about Ningle Terrace: www.visit-hokkaido.jp/en/spot/detail_11270.html
In the winter coming from Sapporo, you would first travel to Asahikawa (1hr 25 min) then to Furano (1 hr 10 min). Then take a bus or taxi. So it would take about 3 hours to reach Ningle Terrace, and 3 hours to return to Sapporo. Alternatively, you might want to spend one night in Asahikawa or Furano. ❄️ Heidi
Hi, this is the video I’ve been waiting for! I was the one asking about this for my Yuki Matsuri trip in your last live video.😁 I’ll be traveling to Hokkaido, exploring Tohoku all the way to Tokyo in Feb, planning to use the JR East South Hokkaido Pass, so I can’t wait for your next video too! 😊
I will definitely use your link to buy my JR Sapporo-Furano Area Pass! I have questions, do you not recommend me to visit Biei the Shirogane Blue Pond? You don’t think it’s worth it in Winter season? Need your advice..
Thank you so much for the inspirations!! ❤
Yay! I was thinking of you when I made this video. ❄️ If you have the time and don't mind the long train ride, you certainly could visit Shirogane Blue Pond in Biei. I think it would take about 3 hours to get there from Sapporo. From Biei Station it's about a 30 minute bus ride. It looks like they have illuminations at the pond in winter. Here's some more info: www.biei-hokkaido.jp/ja/19266
You could visit Furano first, for Ningle Terrace shopping village www.visit-hokkaido.jp/en/spot/detail_11270.html. Then back track to Biei before returning to Sapporo. If you look at the map for the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass, there's a loop. In the winter you can't go the more direct route to Furano. Instead, you need to go through Asahikawa and Biei to reach Furano. 🌸Heidi
Hi Heidi and George! What are your recommendations to do in Hokkaido in spring time? We plan to be in Japan in April 2025. We will fly in Tokyo and after Tokyo will head to Hokkaido and fly back to the States from there.
Hi. Spring is beautiful in Japan! You might catch the cherry blossoms in Tokyo if you're there in early April.
We haven't actually visited Hokkaido in the spring. It might be cold. In Sapporo we like walking through Odori Park, and the other parks. You could visit the Historical Village of Hokkaido, which has various traditional buildings that you can go inside and explore. In late April, the southern portion of Hokkaido is good for cherry blossom viewing, including the Star Fort (Goryōkaku) in Hakodate. 🌸 Heidi
@ Thank you Heidi. Our current plan is to be in Tokyo and its surrounding city attractions beginning of April for 10 days to catch the cherry blossoms and then head up North. I’m doing marathon watch of all things Japan on your channel. My husband had been to Japan on business trip once a long time ago. Everything is new to us. Your videos are more relatable because we travel as a family. Our only son is homeschooled so we seem to share the same interests as yours.
Sounds like a wonderful trip! Pretty much all the places we recommend are family-friendly. We made a video on the best places to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo: th-cam.com/video/J_t6Hh9F5YY/w-d-xo.html A day trip you might want to take from Tokyo is to visit Hitachi Seaside Park. It has flowers, but also an amusement park. It's the first one in this video: th-cam.com/video/NGSW8nVdqYA/w-d-xo.html
Will i get snowfall in sapporo if i visit tomorrow?
Maybe, maybe not…
@KenshoQuest but I will get iced road for sure right?
@@MeBot-t9i I don’t think so. Sapporo has had a few days of snow this year, but then it warmed up and melted. The Instagram account @visit.sapporo usually shares the daily weather as a story.
So sorry to bring up a different topic & question here. Thank you Heidi & George for giving these information right on time. I am not prepared for our trip yet😢
What regional passes you suggests for us
Nov28/2024 day1-3Tokyo /Mt Fuji
4-6 Nagasaki
6-9 Hiroshima
10-17 Osaka Kyoto
18-21 Tokyo /Nagano or Gunma or Shirakawa go!
Can I purchase online or from the office at Narita? ? Please please help 😮
Hi. For that spread out of locations the only pass that would cover everything is the Whole Japan Rail Pass. However, a 21-Day JR Pass costs 100,000 Yen per adult, and might not save you any money. You can enter each city into this Fare Calculator to see how much it would cost without the JR Pass: kenshoquest.com/recommends/jrpass-fare-calculator/ It looks like it would cost around 66,000 Yen purchasing separate tickets, which is less than the JR Pass. However, the JR Pass allows a lot of flexibility and you can add in whichever cities you decide to visit. If you prefer to buy individual Shinkansen bullet train tickets, here's one of our videos: th-cam.com/video/E_GxIrm0fdg/w-d-xo.html
And here's our video on how to calculate whether the Whole Japan Rail Pass is worth it: th-cam.com/video/hsrZpVYH-ls/w-d-xo.html
Thank you George
This probably going to be our first and only Japan trip 😊
Any more tips suggestions please do comment❤
Thanksa lot❤
@@pancyn5914 Here’s our checklist for preparing for a Japan trip: th-cam.com/video/5o_PFG8xWWQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=itMpGD-B3x4igNFC
@@KenshoQuestMuch appreciated George, I will watch those videos tomorrow in detail, but if I present my itinerary printed, will they give me those tickets /pass from Narita itself? Because I wanted utilize the time between 1500 till 6am nearby, I have stay at Narita that night, waiting for my daughter.
Hi, I have a student visa and therefore the resident status, so if I am not mistaken it would not je possible for to buy the pass right ?
Thank you for your answers and your great videos! They helped me a lot since I am in Japan :)
Correct, you wouldn't be able to buy this pass. However, you could buy the train tickets separately and follow the same itinerary. ❄️ Heidi
Good day, Can I buy the pass but use the Airport and the Zoo only?
Yes, you can use the pass however you like on the covered route. You can use it from the airport and to visit Asahikawa. From JR Asahikawa Station it's a 40 minute bus ride to Asahiyama Zoo. The bus ride is not covered by the pass, only the train. ❄️ Heidi
Is it snowing there ??
Yes, Sapporo has started receiving snowfall this year and it's in the forecast this week. This video was filmed last February. ❄️ Heidi
Are shinkansen tickets refundable?
No
Hi. Yes, you normally can cancel Shinkansen bullet train tickets (if done at least 2 hours before departure time). However, you won't get back the entire amount you paid if there is a service fee (around 10%) or cancellation fee. 🌸 Heidi
@@KenshoQuestthank you Heidi 😮
I got hotel booked from 8 to 12 of february 2025
It was so expensive 😢
The price is double from normal day
Yeah, the hotels are more expensive during the festival. We paid a lot too. Enjoy the festival(s)! ☃️❄️